Parentification is a term that we don’t talk about very often, but whose importance is difficult to underestimate. It denotes a situation in which parents and children seem to change places. A situation in which children take on adult functions, and parents agree with this and, moreover, present claims to their grown-up children when they try to get out of this trap. Parentification can manifest itself in different ways. Older children often suffer from it. Like, parents work from morning to night, who, if not you, will pick up their children from kindergarten and do their homework with the middle ones. Of course, you can also heat up lunch and serve it to everyone yourself, nothing complicated. And wash the dishes. And in general, go ahead and take care of the house, you’re the eldest. It’s noteworthy that such children often make every effort to move out as quickly as possible. For example, they prepare intensively for the Unified State Exam and enter a university in another city. Interestingly, they are also often met with disapproval from adults. Like, you, of course, are great for deciding to study and live your adult life, but your younger brothers/sisters and housework have not gone away. That is, parents are usually, in principle, aware that they are transferring their adult functions to their children. And, apparently, they consider this normal. There is also a more emotional parentification. Usually, it occurs in relationships with adult children. It’s difficult to shift everyday life onto such children, especially if they live separately, but calling a hundred times a day, asking for advice on every little thing and sharing all the details of your personal life is easy. Parentification is a serious problem. It inevitably leaves its mark on the fate of children raised in such conditions. No matter how serious and responsible children sometimes seem, they cannot perform on equal terms with adults. You cannot ask your child to take full responsibility or provide appropriate emotional support. It’s great when a child can provide a little help, but you can’t forcefully demand it either. Sign up for a consultation: WhatsApp, Telegram +79202946939 Skype: ktatian1